LeBron James' debut with the Philadelphia 76ers couldn't have gone much better.
He had a quiet game by his superhuman standards, but James still finished with a near triple-double, posting 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He also helped the 76ers spoil the defending champion New York Knicks' ring night with a 106-100 victory at Madison Square Garden.
James did a little bit of everything in the win, but one play you won't see in the box score stood out the most.
Let's take a closer look.
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The play
The breakdown
Looking to cut Philly's lead to a single possession, the Knicks run a pick-and-roll between Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The 76ers have Joel Embiid hedge the pick-and-roll, meaning he jumps out above the level of Towns' screen to prevent Brunson from turning the corner. That leaves Towns, one of the NBA's most dangerous shooters, unguarded when he pops to the top of the 3-point line.
Towns was on fire at this point of the game. He had scored the last eight points for the Knicks, including back-to-back 3-pointers.
Knowing that, James wisely leaves Josh Hart on the right wing and sprints toward Towns.
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Brunson can't get the ball to Towns, so he gives it up to OG Anunoby in the left corner instead.
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With James on Towns, Embiid drops back to the paint and picks up Josh Hart.
Anunoby drives to the basket and kicks the ball out to Mikal Bridges for a 3-pointer, but Tyrese Maxey picks off his pass.
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Why it matters
The 76ers are interesting because they don't necessarily need James to put up the numbers we've become accustomed to for his signing to be a success. Maxey and Jaylen Brown are two All-NBA-caliber players in their prime. Embiid remains a dangerous scorer when healthy, while V.J. Edgecombe is still scratching the surface of his potential.
Where James can make his greatest impact is by being the connective tissue on both ends of the court.
Maxey's steal is a perfect example of James being up for the task. James didn't get a steal or block. He didn't even directly force the turnover. But his awareness helped set the entire sequence in motion.
NBA on NBC reporter Jamal Crawford immediately highlighted the play on the broadcast.
"LeBron James is so smart, so ahead of the play," Crawford said. "He will not get credit for this, but watch right there — he takes away Karl-Anthony Towns, which makes Brunson have to pass to OG, which then makes his pass a lot further.
"LeBron James deserves credit for that defensive stop right there."
Both Maxey and Embiid have talked about the desire to learn from James and understand what it takes to win at the highest level.
It's only been one game, but James is already showing them.
More NBA news:
- Jaylen Brown sends message to rest of NBA after 76ers beat Knicks
- Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff sends bold message on 'Pistons basketball' after win over Celtics
- Jalen Brunson reveals where his 'Ring Night' Kobe Bryant sneakers came from
- Karl-Anthony Towns unlikely to be traded, despite contract problems
- Victor Wembanyama at center of scuffle with Thunder in season opener
